Skate guard



Aug. 27, 1963 G. M. sNYDER SKATE-(GUARD Filed March 22. 1961 irre/HVB United States Patent 3-,l0l,957 Patented Aug. 27, 1963 3,101,957 SKATE GUARD v Gerald M. Snyder, 5370 McLynn Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Mar. 22, 1961, Sel'. No. 97,669 1 Claim. (Cl. Zim-11.12)

I'he present invention relates to improvements in the construction of ice skates and more particularly to an improved ice skate construction designed to minimize possible injury to a person coming into contact with the ends of the blades of such skates.

As is well known, serious injuries have been caused by Ipersons falling on top of or otherwise coming into violent contact with the heel ends of tubular skates such as commonly used in playing ice hockey. While the toe of such skate Iblades is -fairly Well gularded'by reason of the design of the blade supporting structure, the heel pnojects Well beyond the rear Isupporting tube and constitutes la sharp Weapon which normally is not guarded in any way.

arcuate formation and its rounded channel-like cross sec tion it will withstand 'the weight of a person falling on it .and will ydeilect and prevent the sharp weapon formed by the rear end of the skate from penetrating the iiesh.

The tapering formation of the main channel section provides the maximum strength of the guard over the rear end of the skate blade Where it is required. As fshown Iin FIGURE `3 the guard is made up of a one- -piece blank which is formed so as to have a main section 15 of channel-like cross section tapering outwardly from a top attachment flange 17 and 'having inwardly extending -side flanges 15a. The top attachment flange 17 extends outwardly from the arcuate formation of the channel section 15 land is substantially at to match the heel supporting plate 18 extending from the top of the tubular support 16 to which it is secured by welding or rivets. The upper end of the section 15 is blended in to l'meet the flange 17. The lower end of the section 15 Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide an improved skate structure which embodies a form of guard 'to a person falling on the rear portions of the blade. This is accomplished by providing an outwardly arcuate 'stunt or guard between the end of the tubular member lsupporting the heel of the blade and the top of the tubular support upon' which the heel of the shoe is attached. In the preferred Iform this guard is in the form of an arcuately contoured rounded sheet metal str-ut secured at one end to the tubular blade support and )at the other end to the tubular skate heel attachment plate. In this construction the strut lor guard is shaped so as to curve ancuately outwards beneath the heel of the skate `frame to meet the end of the tubular blade `support andis suciently light so `as not to aifect the balance or feel of the skates while being sufliciently strong to withstand normal usage without deformation. The main arcuate portion of the :guard is :shaped as a rounded channel section giving the maximum strength without undue weight. This application is a continuation-impart of United States application Serial No. 814,790 led May 2l, 1959 now abandoned.

Having thus generally described the `nature of the invention, particular reference will be made to the accompanying drawings showing by Way of illustration preferred embodiments thereof, and in which:

FIGURE l is la view in side elevation of a tube skate provided With the safety strut or guard of the invention in one preferred form.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the construction of FIG- URE l to illustrate the construction more clearly.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the construction shown in FIGURE 2 and partially in cross section to illustrate the construction more clearly.

With particular reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, a tube skate of regular form is shown with the longitudinal blade supporting tube indicated at 10 and the blade at 12.

In accordance with the invention, a stay or guard 14 of outwardly arcuate formation issecured between' the upper end of thev tubular support 16 and the outer end of the blade supporting tube 10. Preferably the stay 14 is made fromv thin sheet metal similar to that forming the tubular frame Work of the skate yand shaped to be of sulicient strength to withstand deformation under normal usage and it is welded orI riveted to the existing tubular skate parts. As will be apparent by reference to the drawings, the `stay 14 is not cumbersome nor does it detnact from the appearance of the skate. Due to its which will prevent or :at least minimize possible injury wherein the flanges 15a are Widest i-s squeezed in to form attachment flanges 19 matching the end of the tube 10 where they Iare attached, for example by spot welding or other suitable means.

An advantage of the guard `or stay 14 in accordance with the invention is that it can' be :attached to existing skate 4for-ms with little or no modification, either in the manufacture or later.

It will also be appreciated with reference to the preceding description and accompanying drawing that similar gu-ands 1can be utilized on skates other than the tubular skates described. For example, ligure or fancy skates of certain' types have the same dangerous protrusion of the 4blade heel portion which could -be remedied by the attachment of an arcuate stay las described.

I claim:

lIn a tubular ice skate construction comprising an elongated blade disposed on its edge and having xedly sef'cured thereto and extending substantially vthe length thereof a tubular support lat the upper edge thereof, vertical support means secured to an' intermediate portion of said tubular support means, heel-plate means secured to the 4upper end Iof said vertical support means and including a rear edge disposed inwardly of the rear terminal end of said blade and tubular support, in combination, a 4rear blade :guard comprising a metal stay overlying the rear terminal end of said blade and` including a pair of spaced `attaching flanges substantially embracing opposite sides of said tubular support above said blade and iixedly secured thereto, said metal stay curving inwardly from the rear terminal end of said blade beneath said heel-plate means and terminating in a substantially flat plate portion juxtaposed beneath and secured to said heel-plate means and extending rearwardly from the .upper end of said vertical support means to which said heelaplate means is secured, said metal stay flaring up*- Wardly and outwardly from said blade and having a substantially U-shaped, horizontal `cross-section increased from said blade 'to said heel-plate means and opening inwardly toward said vertical support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

